Departure
by emeraldclouds
Summary: This was originally "Heartbreak". What if Nessie decided to leave? Why does she want to? Does she love Jacob at all? Please read to find out!


Fanfiction #2

**A/N: Just a little songfic**** (Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx)…I almost cried writing this. Anyway, in this story Nessie is six and looks about sixteen  
Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters in the story. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

RPOV

"Hi Nessie," Jacob said, stepping casually into my meadow-something I'd discovered quite by chance. It was beautiful, like my parents' meadow had been. Wildflowers swayed gently to the breeze, and I was sitting by a gorgeous lake, a lake with crystal-clear waters which reflected the lovely scenery all around; even the sky which was impossibly blue. There was not even a tiny speck of fluffy white cloud in the sky, but all that would be about to change.

_Oceans apart day after day _

_And I slowly go insane _

_I hear your voice on the line_

_But it doesn't stop the pain _

I ignored Jacob. He'd told me about his imprinting on me before, but although I accepted that fact, it didn't bring to a close the pain that I felt ever since I knew…that I knew he'd loved my mother. Recently, Jake had come around less frequently-he claimed it was pack business, and I let it go, but secretly I was frustrated. My father-annoyingly, the mind reader-had been intruding in my head _again_. I'd complained to my mom, and she'd shielded my mind from further intruding.

_If I see you next to never_

_How can we say forever_

Yes, Jacob had promised me that. Forever. Now it seemed so distant, so impossible. There was always a little voice in my heart, telling me that Jacob could never love me that way. Never, not when he still loved my mother. I couldn't get close to him, not when I felt the pain. He and I were only brought together because of the imprinting. I think he felt somehow forced to love me, not by his own free will…

JPOV

Slowly, very slowly, Nessie turned to face me. Her expression was that of sadness and pain-if I had caused her that, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Living in the shadow of her mother, not knowing whether my feelings for her were genuine, Edward had admitted to me quietly that day, I knew it was difficult for her. But I would give her that freedom. She deserved the right to choose. If she chose to live her life without me, I would grant her that. It was the least I could do.

_Wherever you go_

_Whatever you do_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_Whatever it takes_

_Or how my heart breaks _

_I will be right here waiting for you_

Nessie opened her mouth like she was going to speak, but no words came out. She sighed, as though in defeat, and finally spoke. "It's impossible between us, Jacob."

_I took for granted, all the times_

_That I thought would last somehow_

_I hear the laughter, I taste the tears_

_But I can't get near you now_

I was stunned into silence. My voice came out in barely a whisper. If Nessie hadn't been so close, I was sure she wouldn't have been able to hear me. "Why?" I whispered, choking out the horrible word.

_Wherever you go_

_Whatever you do_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_Whatever it takes_

_Or how my heart breaks_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

"There are two reasons," Nessie held up her fingers to me as she spoke. In the sky, gray clouds were starting to form. The weather changed real fast today. There was about a minute of silence before the first drops of rain began to fall. Nessie knelt down in front of me and looked up, letting the ice-cold rain pelt all over her face. I wanted to hold her in my overly warm arms, protect her from the rain, but I just couldn't get my feet to move, couldn't get my arms around her.

_I wonder how we can survive_

_This romance_

_But in the end if I'm with you_

_I'll take the chance_

"One, you love my mother. How can you love me like you said you would, when you're still…bleeding over someone else?" Nessie looked down and the raindrops fell more than ever, soaking her lovely bronze curls. "Two, you hate me. I nearly killed my mother, yes, I can admit to that. Because I hate myself as well. I hate myself for being a monster, but that's just who I am. I never forced you to live your life with me. You've got very good qualifications, Jake, you can easily find a girl who's head over heels in love with you. You can have a happy life without me, I swear."

"I imprinted," I whispered back, my voice trembling. If it wasn't so painful I would have phased.

"Yes," Nessie agreed easily. "But that's also part of the problem. You see, you only love me because you have to. Not because you want to. It's the imprint that's holding us together, not love."

_Oh, can't you see it baby_

_You've got me goin' crazy_

"I love you. All that attraction to your mother, it was all you…" I said, shaking uncontrollably.

Nessie shook her head. "I find it very hard to believe that, Jacob Black. Now we'll go our separate ways-I came here as a last goodbye to you. I promise this will be the last time you'll ever see me again. The Cullens are all moving to Alaska tomorrow. You will be happier without me. No more boundaries, nothing you feel bound to protect."

"Imprinting covers geographical distances, Ness…"

Again, Nessie shook her head. Every one of her actions and words since I'd seen her hurt more like a dagger dripping with vampire venom. "You'll forget, it's just a matter of time..."

Before I could utter a single word, Nessie stood up, her face wet, her beyond-beautiful features sad. "I must go now" were the last words she spoke before she ran. I barely saw her go, a blurry streak of bronze and white from the white dress she'd been wearing. I was too shocked. Part of me tried to deny this fact, that Nessie was only joking with me, that she'd return in a couple of days and tell me everything was alright. But the other part protested, insisting that the love of my life would be gone forever. _I promise this will be the last time you'll ever see me again._ Her words, so harsh they were, hurt me like nothing else could. I had seen the pain, the flames at the back of the eyes as she'd spoken these words. _If it pains you to go, why do you even choose to go? _ I thought desperately.

_Wherever you go_

_Whatever you do_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_Whatever it takes_

_Or how my heart breaks_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

It has been eight years since Nessie's departure. I never forgot her, no matter how hard I tried. I didn't even try, because I knew that it would only cause me more pain to think of her. She never came back, as she promised. I would never be able to be happy without her. What was the meaning of life without your imprint? I left my pack soon after that, entitling Seth the right to be Alpha. I dwelled in the deepest parts of the forest, not knowing where I was headed. But I couldn't bring myself to die. Somewhere, in some distant part of the world maybe, Nessie was alive. I had all the time in the world to wait. I wouldn't go after her, if she was in Alaska or anywhere else, because that would make her upset. Someday, if she still loved me, she would come back. I would wait for her as long as she was elsewhere. Because I would love her forever.

_Wherever you go_

_Whatever you do_

_I will be right here waiting for you_

_Whatever it takes_

_Or how my heart breaks_

_I will be right here waiting for you_


End file.
